Cesc Fabregas was one of the high-profile casualties of Antonio Conte’s arrival at Chelsea, with the Italian relegating Fabregas to the bench as he preferred a central midfield partnership of N’Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic.

Although Fabregas at times shone as a substitute, there have been persistent rumours this season that Fabregas does not fit into the Italian’s long-term plans and will be offloaded either during this transfer window or in the summer. However, statistics suggest this would be a bad idea.

Despite making only five Premier League starts, Fabregas is the joint-leader among Chelsea players on the league assists chart, taking his tally to six after setting up Gary Cahill’s goal against Hull City on Sunday. Nemanja Matic also has six.

Fabregas remains one of the best playmakers in Europe, and he is able to influence games despite his limited playing time. His assist rate, when compared to the best in Europe, shows why Conte would be wise to keep the Spaniard around.